Oral Cancer Screenings

According to the American Dental Association, 41,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year. With 60% of the U.S. population visiting the dentist each year, your Idaho Falls, ID dental office is the first line of defense for early detection.

As the premier oral health experts in Idaho Falls, ID, we take our role in your overall health to heart at Park West Dental . Every routine dental exam that Drs. Drake and Jacobson perform includes more than diagnostic x-rays and a thorough cleaning. They also completes a potentially lifesaving mouth cancer screening that is executed with the sole purpose of identifying cancer early enough to significantly increase the chances of a full recovery.

What Is Oral Cancer?

Oral or mouth cancer reveals itself as a growth or sore in the mouth or throat that doesn’t go away with time. Oral cancer symptoms include:

Red or white patches on the lining of the mouth or tongue

Swelling or thickening of areas inside the mouth

Unexplained bleeding

Sores on the face, neck, or mouth that do not heal

Chronic sore throat

Hoarseness

A change in the way your dentures fit

What Is an Oral Cancer Screening?

Our oral cancer screenings consist of a verbal, visual, and physical examination, and they include the following:

A thorough review of your oral health history, as well as your overall health history, which includes questions that help assess your level of risk for mouth cancer

A visual inspection of all the areas of your mouth and throat in an effort to locate any abnormalities, such as sores and red or white patches; this inspection includes the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, floor of the mouth, roof of the mouth, and far-back section of your tongue

A check for suspicious lumps by palpating your mouth, jaw, and neck

Though most sores (one of the primary signs of oral cancer) are noncancerous, the screening alone can’t determine this. If an abnormality is found, Drs. Drake and Jacobson may perform a biopsy (remove some cells for testing) or refer you to a mouth cancer specialist.

FAQ

How often should I be screened for oral cancer?

You should be screened at every routine dental visit.

If I am found to have mouth cancer, what do I do?

If you are diagnosed with cancer, Drs. Drake and Jacobson will refer you to a specialist so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

How do you treat oral cancer?

If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be sent to a doctor who specializes in treating oral cancer. Treatment typically consists of removal of the cancerous growth followed by radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

Maintaining your routine dental visits with us ensures your smile continues to sparkle, but it also vastly improves the chance that abnormalities in your mouth will be caught early, which increases your chances of successful treatment should any be cancerous.

Call 208.932.4607today to learn more about how Park West Dental can protect your oral health, and to schedule an appointment with your Idaho Falls, ID dentists!

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PARK WEST DENTAL CARE

Your Idaho Falls dentists, Drs. Jacobson and Drake, along with the highly trained team at Park West Dental Care, can provide you with the cutting-edge technology needed to maintain and improve your dental health.